I'm the Detroit bureau chief for Forbes, which means I spend most of my time covering the automotive industry. But I also keep an eye on the rest of America's heartland—where stuff is manufactured and grown. I've been on the auto beat for more than 20 years at Forbes, Business Week and the Detroit Free Press. At the Boston Globe, I rode the tech bubble for a while, but I found there's nothing quite as fun as the auto beat. Whether you drive a car or not, everyone has an opinion about cars or car companies. What's yours?

Last Call For These Cars That Will Soon Be History

When Ford Motor redesigned its popular Escape utility vehicle for the 2013 model year, fans of the boxy predecessor lamented its curvy new shape. People who liked the hybrid version of the Escape were doubly disappointed, though: the new Escape isn’t even available as a hybrid. Instead, Ford introduced the 2013 Ford C-Max hybrid, a compact wagon.

If you still feel the Escape hybrid is more your style, good luck finding one. Dealer inventories are dwindling — Ford sold just 9 last month — and once they’re gone, they’re gone. Of course, you’ll still be able to find a used one for years to come, but if you want a new Escape hybrid, you’ll have to search for one of the remaining 2012s still hanging around.

Buying a car that’s going out of production can be a great way to get a bargain on new wheels, says Karl Brauer, editor of Total Car Score. “Model lines on the chopping block tend to lose resale value faster than cars with some life left in them, and dealers know it,” says Brauer, who says you can use that to your advantage. Since dealers are often eager to get “walking dead” cars off their lots quickly, he advises, “Feel free to practice a bit of role reversal, informing the dealer you’re going to do him a favor by taking this discontinued car off his hands.”

Total Car Score compiled a list of 10 other vehicles that are going away in 2013, including the Hyundai Veracruz (replaced by a larger Santa Fe), the Mazda CX-7 (replaced by more fuel-efficient CX-5), and the Jeep Liberty (to be replaced next year by a Fiat-designed Jeep).

Some are being discontinued because they flopped in the market, like the Maybach ultra-luxury sedan, the Mercedes-Benz R-class or the Lexus HS250h, a pricey hybrid that fell short in terms of fuel efficiency, luxury and functionality. Others simply had grown long in the tooth and couldn’t keep up with the competition any more like Mitsubishi’s Galant sedan and Eclipse coupe, and the Kia Sedona minivan.

For one last farewell to these and other discontinued models, click here.

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